MicroRNAs in urine could be a promising biomarker to diagnose brain tumours and regular urine tests could help early detection and treatment, it is claimed.
As a diagnostic biomarker of cancerous tumours, microRNAs have recently received considerable attention.
MicroRNAs are secreted from various cells, and exist in a stable and undamaged condition within extracellular vesicles in biological fluids, such as blood and urine.
Nagoya University researchers focused on microRNAs in urine as a biomarker of brain tumours. The new device they developed is equipped with 100 million zinc oxide nanowires, which can be sterilised and mass-produced, and is therefore suitable for actual medical use.
The device can extract a significantly greater variety and quantity of microRNAs from only a millilitre of urine compared with conventional methods.
The analysis of the microRNAs that were collected using the device from the urine of patients with brain tumours and non-cancer individuals revealed that many microRNAs derived from brain tumours actually exist in urine in a stable condition.
The results showed that the model can distinguish the patients from non-cancer individuals at a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 97%, regardless of the malignancy and size of tumours.
Image Credit | Nagoya-University
